Melica Moshiri: From Selective Mutism to AI Infrastructure Powerhouse and BBC The Apprentice Star
Melica Moshiri is a British entrepreneur, executive search specialist and public speaker best known for her expertise in AI compute infrastructure and for her appearance on BBC One’s The Apprentice in 2025. Born on 15 March 1992, she represents a new generation of business leaders who combine commercial drive with technical insight and media presence.
Raised in the United Kingdom in a family of Iranian heritage, she has built a reputation in highly specialised recruitment markets, particularly in artificial intelligence, data centre environments and compute-heavy organisations. Her journey from a shy child experiencing selective mutism to a confident television personality and TEDx speaker is one of the most compelling aspects of her story.
Today, she operates at the intersection of AI, infrastructure and leadership hiring, advising founders, investors and senior executives across the UK, Europe and the United States.
Early Life and Education
Background and Heritage
Born in March 1992, Melica Moshiri grew up in the UK within a family of Iranian heritage. Her upbringing combined British culture with Persian values, something reflected in her public persona and the strong family support she often acknowledges.
As a child, she experienced selective mutism, a severe form of anxiety that made speaking in certain settings extremely difficult. Teachers quickly recognised the issue and she received early support. She has openly shared how transformative that intervention was, particularly when reflecting on how much she speaks today as a business leader and television candidate.
Academic Journey
She studied Law with Business at the University of Brighton, graduating in 2013 with a 2:1 honours degree. Her academic background provided a strong foundation in critical thinking, negotiation and commercial awareness. Although she did not pursue a legal career, the discipline and structure of legal training later proved valuable in executive search and contract-driven business environments.
The Professional Rise of Melica Moshiri
Foundations in Recruitment
Her career began in 2013 at Pareto Law, where she worked as a Business Development Executive. In this early stage, she developed core recruitment skills including cold calling, deal closure and candidate management. The experience instilled resilience and a strong work ethic.
She then moved to Experian Data Quality UK as an Account Manager, managing strategic clients such as NHS Trusts. This role enhanced her commercial acumen and client relationship management capabilities.
Becoming a Top Biller
Between 2015 and 2017, she worked at expand executive search in the Greater Brighton area. During this period, she achieved the rank of number one biller in both 2016 and 2017, outperforming even directors. Her focus was on programmatic adtech and martech markets across North America and EMEA.
Her next major move was to Energize Group in Santa Monica, California. Over more than four years, she rose through multiple promotions, eventually becoming Head of Business Development. She played a central role in launching and scaling the company’s US presence from scratch. Her achievements included Employee of the Year in 2020 and top billing performance in consecutive years.
A brief tenure at Braze in 2022 saw her recognised for the highest outbound prospecting activity within the North American mid-market team.
Founding SkillTorch: A Niche in AI Compute
The Creation of SkillTorch
In August 2022, Melica Moshiri founded SkillTorch Ltd, an executive search firm focused exclusively on AI compute and data centre infrastructure. Based in Lancing, England, the company operates across the UK, Europe and the United States.
Her decision to specialise in infrastructure-heavy AI organisations was strategic. As AI systems moved from experimental phases into production environments, companies faced complex operational challenges involving power availability, GPU cloud capacity, reliability and scaling. These were not simply technical issues; they were strategic risks requiring experienced leadership.
Executive Search in High-Reliability Environments
SkillTorch focuses on senior and executive roles within AI compute platforms, GPU cloud providers and infrastructure-intensive AI firms. Rather than operating at high volume, the firm emphasises depth, trusted delivery and long-term partnerships.
Her work often involves supporting companies operating in physically constrained, mission-critical environments where downtime can have significant financial consequences. By aligning commercial awareness with technical understanding, she has positioned herself in one of the most specialised segments of modern recruitment.
In March 2024, she was also appointed Director of MIRANOVA Ltd, another active UK company.
Melica Moshiri on The Apprentice 2025
BBC Appearance and Public Recognition
In 2025, Melica Moshiri appeared as a candidate on Series 19 of The Apprentice, broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Filmed in 2024 and aired from January to April 2025, she progressed to Week 8 of the competition.
During her time on the programme, she secured five task wins, including one victory as Project Manager. Her performance demonstrated commercial confidence, negotiation skills and leadership under pressure.
The exposure significantly increased her public profile, bringing attention not only to her personality but also to her niche expertise in AI infrastructure recruitment.
Speaking Engagements and Media Coverage
Following her television appearance, she expanded her public speaking portfolio. She has delivered talks at TEDx events and has spoken at venues including the UK Parliament, Spotify, NBCUniversal and the University of Brighton.
Her story has been covered by BBC News and several national publications. The narrative of overcoming selective mutism to become a confident public speaker resonates strongly with audiences.
In addition, she hosts the FuturePulse podcast, discussing AI, leadership and infrastructure development.
Melica Moshiri Age and Background
Born on 15 March 1992, Melica Moshiri turned 33 in 2025 and 34 in 2026. She remains based in the Greater Brighton and Hove area.
Melica Moshiri ethnicity
She has publicly acknowledged her Iranian heritage and often receives affectionate Persian messages from family and friends on social media.
Fitness and Travel
Outside work, she is passionate about fitness, running and travel. Her social media presence reflects an active lifestyle and a commitment to personal development alongside professional ambition.
The Transformation Story
One of the most powerful elements of her journey is the transformation from a child struggling with selective mutism to a nationally televised business competitor and speaker. That evolution underscores resilience, support systems and personal growth.
Her primary school support teacher reportedly expressed pride in her progress years later, highlighting the long-term impact of early intervention and belief from family.
Leadership Style and Market Positioning
Melica Moshiri positions herself as a strategic partner rather than a transactional recruiter. Her emphasis on infrastructure, operational resilience and production-scale AI differentiates her from generalist recruitment professionals.
She works closely with founders and investors who understand that AI success is not only about algorithms but about reliable compute capacity, scalable data environments and strong operational leadership.
Her legal training, commercial background and international experience combine to create a distinctive profile in a competitive market.
Net Worth and Professional Standing
There is no publicly disclosed net worth figure. However, as the founder of an executive search firm operating in high-value AI markets, a former top-performing recruiter and a public speaker, she is financially established within her sector.
Her continued involvement in AI infrastructure hiring suggests sustained demand for her expertise as artificial intelligence continues to expand globally.
Conclusion
Melica Moshiri represents a modern business leader shaped by resilience, commercial ambition and technical focus. From early challenges with selective mutism to becoming a BBC television candidate and TEDx speaker, her journey reflects determination and strategic positioning.
Through SkillTorch and her public engagements, she has carved out a unique space within AI infrastructure recruitment. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, her niche expertise in compute and data centre leadership ensures she remains at the forefront of one of the most critical areas in technology.
FAQs
1. Who is Melica Moshiri?
Melica Moshiri is a British entrepreneur, executive search specialist and public speaker. She is the Founder and Director of SkillTorch, an executive search firm focused on AI compute and data centre infrastructure. She gained national recognition in 2025 as a candidate on BBC One’s The Apprentice (Series 19), where she reached Week 8. She is also a TEDx speaker and hosts the FuturePulse podcast.
2. How old is Melica Moshiri?
Melica Moshiri was born on 15 March 1992. She turned 33 years old in 2025 and will be 34 in 2026.
3. What is Melica Moshiri’s ethnicity?
Melica Moshiri is British with Iranian heritage. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom but comes from an Iranian family background.
